


The Basement Confrontation

by HeereandThere



Category: Be Less Single - Fandom, Be More Chill - Iconis/Tracz
Genre: Brief Drug/Smoking Mention, Spoilers For Michael's Be Less Single Route
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-08
Updated: 2018-09-08
Packaged: 2019-07-08 13:40:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 706
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15931571
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HeereandThere/pseuds/HeereandThere
Summary: All seemed well when Michael invited Jeremy to hang out after school, but when Jeremy arrives on the scene, he meets unexpected adversity.





	The Basement Confrontation

**Author's Note:**

> I was having a lot of trouble with CloudNovel and it wouldn't load my save because it wasn't registering that I was logged in. So, it said that I hadn't told Michael about the squip (I'm doing his route...) when I had, and I panicked and spent 20 minutes trying to get it to work. I eventually did and was SO RELIEVED when he didn't start yelling and instead jumpscared me oh-so adorably. Still, it was weird to think about after the confrontation I had previously experienced, so here's this.

It was as dark as could be in the Mells' basement, making it hard to see and even harder to navigate one's way down the steep stairs. Jeremy suspected this was intentional; after all, he had deserted Michael at a massive Halloween party while knowing full well that he had trouble coping in social situations, not to even mention the Hell he must have put him through those few months. He didn't want to admit he deserved to meet his doom to darkness and stairs, but he would be lying if he said he didn't.

"Michael? Mich- AH-" Jeremy grabbed desperately at the wall as he mistimed a step and slipped, one foot remaining carefully balanced on the stairwell and the other skidding underneath him, putting him in an awkward split pose. "I know you're down here! Please turn the light on!" No response. "You're trying to kill me aren't you?" he muttered dejectedly as he righted himself.

Even more wary about what could possibly lie at the foot of the precarious stairs, Jeremy planned his steps slowly and carefully. As his feet met the plush, carpeted floor, he let out a sigh of relief; he was, remarkably, unharmed save for the one mistake. "Michael!" he called. "MICHAEL!"

_He IS down here, right?_

_**He is. He's planning to scare you.** _

_Scare m-?_

As if on cue, the lamp sitting on Michael's desk flicked on and bothered Jeremy's eyes, which had adjusted to the lack of light. Michael himself was sitting in a rolling chair set haphazardly behind the table, not facing Jeremy. His voice was dry, which was a sharp contrast to his usual jubilation. "I've been expecting you."

Jeremy's face fell into a confused expression, but he shook it off and put on a nonthreatening smile. "Um... Duh."

Michael stuck his leg out and set the chair in a circular motion, only with a bit too much force; it completed its 180° turn and continued to whirl before the one who had begun this cycle stopped it abruptly and looked up at his friend with a flustered face. He held a tiny black kitten in his arms, an animal that was frankly adorable and attempted to wriggle out of his grasp with pure difficulty. "I've been expecting you," Michael repeated.

"YOU invited ME over. And then threatened me if I didn't come. And where'd you get that cat?"

"Dustin," Michael answered monotonously. "He got it from a shelter for me." He shook his head desperately as he realized that this was incredibly off-topic and he needed to get back on track. "Was it you that I invited over earlier?" He leaned forward in his chair and scrutinized Jeremy with narrowed eyes. The kitten finally broke free of its prison and skittered across the floor; it brushed its head against Jeremy's leg, but was ignored.

"Um... Yeah? Who else would it have been?"

"Ooh, I dunno." Michael's words dripped with sarcasm as he rose into a standing position, crossing his arms behind his back coyly and stepping towards Jeremy. "Probably the 22 megabytes worth of asshole in your brain." He knocked on Jeremy's forehead for emphasis and the other boy recoiled in response to the touch.

"What're you talking about?"

"Oh, cut the crap, Jeremy! I'm not an idiot! I know the squip is back!"

"Uh... I sure hope you do!"

Michael looked shocked for but a second before crossing his arms adamantly. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Jeremy put on a bewildered look and waved his arms for emphasis as he exclaimed, "It means I told you yesterday! Did you seriously forget ALREADY?"

"I..." Michael motioned to point exasperatedly at Jeremy's chest, but he halted and instead cocked his head to the side. "You did?"

"Yes! We had, like, a massive argument about it!"

"Oh."

"Yeah, 'Oh!'"

Michael's shoulders slumped and he was noticeably more calm, more confused than furious now. He hummed impressively at his own absentmindedness. "Well, okay, then. Cool."

"Sure. Cool."

"Well, uh... Sorry?" Michael played with the hem of his sweatshirt hesitantly. "Do you wanna... I dunno, play something? Get stoned?"

Jeremy sighed and rolled his eyes back exasperatedly. "God, yes, please."

He really hoped this wouldn't be a daily occurrence.


End file.
